Beauty and the Beast
by Shiruba Neko
Summary: A Resembool mechanic and the beast of Ishbal, who would've thought? A collection of stories focusing on the pairing ScarxWinry in the mangaverse. Rating and warnings will vary by chapter, and most if not all will contain spoilers for later manga chapters.
1. Don't Know Why I Trust You

_**Title:**__ Don't Know Why I Trust You  
**Pairing:**__ ScarxWinry  
**Rating: **__PG  
**Spoilers:**__ Yes, for the manga up to chapter 72  
**Warnings: **none  
**30nights Theme:**__ I feel safe with you by my side  
**Disclaimer:**__ Hiromu Arakawa owns these guys, not me.  
**A/N:**__ Well, surprises upon surprises, I did not in fact die or fall off the face of the planet since I last updated Brothers. And I do apologize for how long that's taking with the next chapter, by the way, I'm afraid I've been rather distracted from it. School, other writing projects, a pretty involving RP, etc. And yet another surprise, I'm actually writing a pairing! After the last few chapters in the manga, I decided that I really like the potential for ScarxWinry, and took up a livejournal challenge called 30nights for it, along with a friend, and decided to put them up here as well. Also, this was _written before chapter 73 came out_, so obviously it doesn't mesh with what actually happened after 72, please don't point this out because I already know. And with that, on with the story!  
_

* * *

Winry wondered why she had ever agreed to this plan in the first place, to being 'kidnapped' by the man who had killed her parents and so many other people. True, going back to being a real hostage to be used against Ed and Al was unthinkable, and apparently they needed Scar alive and free to translate those notes that Marcoh-san had spoken of, but all the same she didn't like this much at all. Her ribs were sore from the way he was holding her as he ran through back alleys to escape from Kimbley's men, and her heart was pounding with fear that they might be caught. Eventually it seemed as though they would be cornered, but Scar managed to turn into another alley and caught sight of several pipes protruding from a building, close to the ground and several of them looking to be just barely big enough for the big Ishbalan to fit inside. There were grates covering the openings, but one of them was loose, and Winry could hear soldiers getting closer to their location; even if it would be a tight fit, there was nowhere else they could hide, and Scar couldn't fight with both his injury and her to watch out for. Scar seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he only hesitated for a moment before hurrying over to pull the grate away from the opening and sliding them both inside the pipe, pulling the grate back into place behind them. 

It was an even tighter fit than it had looked like initially, and Scar was forced to hold Winry close against his chest as he scooted inside as far as he could before running into a far more secure grate. By this time they could both hear soldiers in the alleyway outside their hiding place, who fortunately did not seem to think to look inside the pipe. Unfortunately, this meant that they could not afford the noise and light that would come from destroying the grate to gain access to the building and more room. _Especially _more room, Winry thought as she resisted the urge to squirm away from Scar. She was in his lap, and having to lean against his chest while his neck was bent enough for his chin to be resting on her head. There was no room to move away without causing enough noise to draw attention to them, as much as she wanted to at least get off of his lap. Bandaging his arm to keep him from bleeding to death was one thing, agreeing to go with him to get away from Kimbley was another, but _this_ was going quite a bit too far for Winry. It was one of the most tense, uncomfortable situations she'd been in for some time now, but somehow she didn't feel threatened by his proximity as much as she thought she would be. He was an extremely dangerous serial killer, he had _murdered_ her _parents_, so why wasn't she more afraid of him? Even if he had assured her before she'd agreed to this that he wouldn't harm her, she shouldn't feel so..._safe_ with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps in the snow outside their hiding place, and for a terrifying moment she thought they'd been found, but the footsteps continued past. She shivered as she heard Kimbley's smooth voice, which had once seemed friendly and charming, but now sounded dangerous and snakelike and more frightening than even Scar could ever be. She could have sworn that she felt Scar's grip tighten protectively around her just a little bit.

"Search every sector until you find him, and remember that he has a hostage now. Do not engage him until I am there, understood? Get the girl away if you can, but the Ishbalan is mine."

"Yes, sir!" a soldier's voice replied, "We'll start in this area, he couldn't have gotten too far so quickly."

"Just see that you find him."

Winry had felt Scar tense until he was nearly shaking while Kimbley spoke, looking up to see that he was glaring out the grate with eyes blazing with hatred and teeth bared in a silent snarl. He looked so terrifyingly furious that Winry flinched down away from him, the movement seeming to startle him out of at least part of his anger. He looked down at her, and at the somewhat frightened look in her eyes she thought she might have seen a flash of guilt pass over his expression before he schooled his face out of the threatening expression he had been wearing previously before looking away.

She didn't know how long they remained in that pipe, unable to speak or even move for fear of being discovered, but the sun had long set before they could be sure that there were no more soldiers in the immediate area. And even then they could not leave the pipe; the blizzard that had been building earlier had begun with a fury, and it wouldn't be safe for them to leave their shelter now, no matter how meager it was. Not that either of them were particularly minding their current close position, no matter how awkward it was. The two of them were by now huddled against each other, both shivering as the wind whistled through the outer grate and chilled them to the bone.

"C-can't you g-get through the g-grate now?" Winry said, glancing somewhat longingly farther down the pipe where it would presumably lead into the building itself.

Scar shook his head, "The metal will shatter. It isn't s-safe," even he couldn't keep from shivering enough not to stutter.

"Oh..." Winry looked down and fell silent, not knowing what to say or even if she should say anything. Scar was dangerous, she had to keep reminding herself of that. She couldn't let herself be lulled into a sense of security around him, no matter how unthreatening he seemed at the moment. For all she knew she was walking on thin ice already, and he could snap at any moment. Even if he didn't seem to be like that, even if he had sworn over and over to Ed and Al that he wouldn't hurt her before they would allow her to go with him...even if he'd seemed to mean it. She couldn't let herself trust her parents' killer like this, she couldn't--

Another strong gust of wind howled past the outer grate, sending snow swirling in towards them. At the intense cold that came with it, Winry, almost on reflex, huddled closer to Scar before realizing what she was doing and tensing. She could have almost cried from frustration. Why couldn't she keep herself from trusting him? He was a killer and yet she felt such a feeling of safety with him after less than a day. She nearly jumped when she saw his arm move, freezing in something close to panic as she realized that it was his right arm and it was headed towards her face. Scar froze when she startled, his hand staying still for a few long moments before tentatively continuing until his fingers brushed against her chin, curling under it so that he could gently tilt her face up. All was done slowly, hesitantly, as though he were trying not to frighten her, and it was only because of this that Winry did not try to squirm away from his hand as she looked into his deep crimson eyes. Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her face, and she couldn't help the slight blush that was beginning to rise in her cheeks. A part of her was frightened, as she truly realized that she was alone in close quarters with a dangerous man who could easily overpower her should he wish to, and their somewhat compromising position and the way he was holding her chin was doing nothing to help this fear. A part of her still insisted on trusting him, and another, smaller part of her was almost allured by him. Her blush intensified slightly as she stomped this part down into the very back of her mind as far as it would go. Between these conflicting emotions she was paralyzed, and she could do nothing but stare into his eyes as a look of what seemed almost to be concern flickered across them. Abruptly he let go of her chin, pulling his hand away as though he'd been burned and refusing to meet her eyes again as he looked off to the side.

Scar's brow furrowed as though he were having an internal debate, and the next gust of wind and snow that caused Winry to shiver even more seemed to decide whatever it was and he carefully nudged her back away from him somewhat. She confusedly leaned back the rest of the way until her back was against the cold metal of the pipe, wondering if she'd done something or he'd become annoyed with her closeness and wanted her away. His stony expression revealed no hints as to his thoughts, and he wasn't saying anything either. Then he began opening his coat, and some of the fear that had taken root when he'd tilted her chin up began to return. She tried to keep it out of her expression, but it probably didn't matter whether she did or not because he wasn't looking at her and seemed to be focusing entirely on his coat. Before long it was open, revealing nothing but a shirt underneath it, and she wondered at how he wasn't shivering more than he was. He pulled back the right side with his one good arm as though as an invitation, still looking off to the side rather than at her. It may have been her imagination, but Winry could have sworn that he looked almost _awkward_ as he finally spoke.

"Here," he said, and when Winry didn't move he glanced up at her and then away again. This time she knew that she'd seen hesitance in his face, and it looked almost alien on him. Scar mumbled his next words, his scowl deepening and his voice gruff with what seemed nearly to be embarrassment, "You're turning blue."

Winry's mouth formed an 'O' as she realized what he was trying to say, and she felt almost silly for her fear. Tentatively she leaned forward again, ready to jerk back at any indication that she'd misunderstood, until she was once more huddled against his chest. He then pulled his coat closed around her just as tentatively as she had been moving. She could feel the difference in temperature almost immediately, nearly sighing in relief at the warmth. He _was_ warm, even as cold as it was, and it seemed strange and surprising that someone with such a stony persona could be so warm. She could even hear his heartbeat now, feel it against the side of her face. It was a strangely comforting noise, and that combined with the warmth and the rhythm of his breathing was lulling her into even more of a sense of safety than she had been in before.

As the night dragged on she forgot her fear of him, and for just this little while, she forgot the killings, even those of her parents a little. By the time the storm had passed and the two could finally possibly leave, she had fallen asleep against him, completely hypnotized by the steady beat of his heart.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Yes I am in fact aware that you should never fall asleep when it's cold, and also that I severely underestimated that blizzard when I wrote this. I talked with my dad (who is a surgeon) about it and he said that since she was warm when she fell asleep and that it wasn't because she was freezing to death that it still wasn't all that great of an idea, but she wouldn't die from it. _


	2. Lost

_**Title:**__ Lost  
**Pairing:**__ ScarxWinry  
**Rating:**__PG  
**Spoilers:**__ Yes, for the manga up to chapter 73  
**30nights Theme:**__ Find me in the dark  
**Disclaimer:**__ Hiromu Arakawa owns these guys, not me.  
**A/N:**__ Well, that took a bit longer to post than expected, apologies. I'm glad that some people are interested in this pairing besides my friend and I, I was a bit worried that I would be unmercifully flamed for it. Heh. But that didn't happen, so I'm glad._

* * *

The cave-in had been unexpected, and only Yoki's recognition of the ominous creaking sound the support beams were making had saved them all from being buried. When the man had suddenly started running for a side passage, shouting at them all to run if they wanted to live, they'd all taken his advice and sprinted after him, hearing the roof of the passage collapsing behind them as they ran in panicked disarray. The light had been extinguished in the confusion, and by the time they finally stopped they all had to spend several minutes coughing on account of all the dust they'd breathed before someone brought out the matches and re-lit the lantern.

"Is everyone here?" Scar finally spoke up, looking around and seeing that everyone was...except that he couldn't see Winry anywhere. As soon as he realized that she wasn't there, he felt a cold jolt of fear run through him, although he wasn't entirely sure why, "Where's the girl?"

"She was right next to me when we ran," Mei said uncertainly, looking distressed at the possibility of what might have happened, "You don't think...?"

"She was probably only lost in the confusion, and went down another tunnel by accident," Marcoh cut in, trying to dispel the pall that had fallen over the group, "Someone should take the light and go look for her."

The words were barely out of Marcoh's mouth when Scar grabbed the lantern from Yoki and begun striding back down the tunnel they'd come down, "I'll be back when I've found her, just stay here."

"Ah, wait, the tunnel could collapse even more--"

"All the more reason to hurry and find her," Scar continued walking without even a pause for the warning. Before long, he and the light had disappeared around a corner. He wasn't sure why he was so concerned about the girl's well-being. True, he'd promised to protect her and he certainly didn't want to be responsible for her death, but that didn't explain this feeling of worry. He'd been shut off from everyone for so long, numb to such things as concern and kindness, that he didn't exactly know what to do with them now that they were returning, faint as they were. He didn't _want_ them to return. He hadn't wanted to feel anything ever again. If he could have become completely cold and merciless perhaps the pain would have gone away. A damned monster like him shouldn't be feeling anything anyway. He hadn't simply fallen to the way of the beast, he'd embraced it. Anything to stop the pain of having lost everything.

Then suddenly he'd found himself with companions: Yoki, Mei, even Marcoh as much as Scar hated him. He'd been confronted for the about the one crime he felt guilt for. He'd been told of the thing that had truly started the massacre, and his hatred had been suddenly divided and thrown into question. In his confusion and weakness these emotions had slipped in and settled themselves, and now he could not get rid of them. They'd made him hesitate and be captured, they were making him worry about a girl who hated him.

"Girl!" he called into the darkness, but received no answer. He was glad he'd brought the lantern along before leaving the others; beyond the flickering circle of light was nothing but blackness, darker than a moonless night. He would have gotten lost himself without the light. He called several more times, and even though he strained his ears he could not hear any kind of reply. His worry mounting, images flashed across his mind. The end of a scarf just barely visible beneath a pile of rock, a corpse having been trapped and suffocated by a cloud of dust...he shook his head, trying to banish such thoughts. It wouldn't get him anywhere. But they wormed their way in anyway, and his calls were growing louder.

"Girl! Answer me!" he was nearly all the way back to where the cave-in had happened, and there was still no sign of her. If she hadn't run fast enough, if she'd tripped...it would be his fault. He'd promised to protect her, and he'd have failed. It was his responsibility to have made sure she was with the rest of the group, and he'd been too concerned with getting himself out of there that he hadn't checked to make sure she was too, "Girl! Winry!"

He barely noticed the change from 'girl' to her name, because at that moment he finally found another tunnel she could have gone down. And he only had to go a short ways inside it before he at last heard a faint reply to his calls.

"Scar? Is that you?" her voice seemed far away and echoed in the tunnel, making it impossible to tell exactly how far she was. If the passage branched again before he found her, this would become far more difficult.

"Winry, stay where you are!" he shouted back, striding farther into the tunnel at a quick pace. His worry began to dissipate now that he knew she was alive at least, although some remained. Whether she was all right or not had yet to be seen. Fortunately the tunnel did not branch further, although they both continued to call back and forth as though to reassure themselves that they hadn't just been hearing things.

Finally they found each other, Winry having hurried towards the circle of lantern light as soon as it had come into view, looking relieved. The worried expression on Scar's face went back to his normal frowning one almost immediately, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she walked over to him, smiling somewhat cautiously, "Thanks for coming to look for me. Is everyone else okay?"

"They are fine as well," Scar said, nodding and looking her over briefly to reassure himself that she was actually unharmed before scowling, "Why didn't you stay with the group?"

She frowned back at him, "I got lost in the confusion. It was completely black, Scar, and everyone was panicking. Even after I realized that you were all gone, I had to keep running because I didn't know how big the cave-in would be."

Scar didn't reply, just turned around and began walking back down the passage, "Come on, we need to get back to the others."

Winry pouted indignantly behind him for a few moments before sighing as though he were a completely lost cause and following, not pressing it further. But after a little while she spoke up again, this time sounding far more hesitant, "Scar? When you were shouting...well, were you actually worried?"

Scar was silent for a few long moments before muttering, "I promised that I would protect you, and I intend to keep that promise. If you had been hurt or killed it would have been my fault, as I am responsible for you and for making sure that you remain with the group."

"Oh," Winry fell silent again after that, which Scar had no problems at all with. He didn't want to talk about his concern for her. He barely wanted to even think about it, or what it could mean.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Oh Scar, you are even more of an angst muffin than your anime counterpart and you need some sense knocked into you. I'm sure Winry will be happy to oblige with her wrench. If he ever goes off on another "I am pus" spiel during the manga, I might have to reach through the computer screen and smack him myself. _


End file.
